UK Counter-Terrorism (merged thread)

[davidbfpo]

The former Met Police national CT chief, Andy Hayman (2005 till December 2007), recently wrote a book on his experiences 'The Terrorist Hunters', that on 2nd July 2009 the day before public sale was hit by a civil injunction and banned (numerous newslinks, just one: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8130520.stm ).

On 29th June 2009 he was interviewed by the BBC hardtalk programme and in just twenty four minutes talks widely. Civil liberties, public safety and much more discussed: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode...k_Andy_Hayman/ A shorter interview on Sky: http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/vid...tegory=UK+News

His book was partly released in parts in The Times, with critical comments on the UK government stuctures: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle6552590.ece and supporting a 7/7 inquiry http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle6539369.ece

The book had been released for reviews and is commended in: http://entertainment.timesonline.co....cle6619300.ece

The legal case is back in court today and the grounds for the ban have yet to be given. The book is likely to be on sale outside the UK, similar to the 'Spycatcher' affair many years ago and became a bestseller.

davidbfpo

[Majormarginal]

He fell out with the politicians. This will be interesting.

[davidbfpo]

MajorMarginal,

In a very odd way this case has fallen out of view, even Andy hayman's own website: http://andyhayman.com/index.html has little to say about what has happened to the injunction. Previously the website referred to a court hearing last Friday, earlier his week it reported the case had disappeared from the listing. Today's update suggests Scottish politicians (not Labour, but Scottish Nationalists) are upset at his comments.

As befits a modern society some of his books were sold publically, aside from numerous review copies in circulation.

Puzzling start to a legal case.

davidbfpo

[Majormarginal]

This should be good for sales when the book does come out. Could your courts silence him under libel laws or security procedures? This will be impossible now that some copies are out.

MajorMarginal,

In a very odd way this case has fallen out of view, even Andy hayman's own website: http://andyhayman.com/index.html has little to say about what has happened to the injunction. Previously the website referred to a court hearing last Friday, earlier his week it reported the case had disappeared from the listing. Today's update suggests Scottish politicians (not Labour, but Scottish Nationalists) are upset at his comments.

As befits a modern society some of his books were sold publically, aside from numerous review copies in circulation.

Puzzling start to a legal case.

davidbfpo

[Majormarginal]

Why are the Scottish nationalists upset?

[davidbfpo]

Why are the Scottish nationalists upset?

In The Terrorist Hunters, Mr Hayman claims politicians are guilty of “hissy fits” and “some amazing playground antics”. He told The Times: “Mr Salmond is no different.”

A spokesman for the First Minister denied the claims, saying that neither Mr Salmond nor Mr MacAskill had any contact or dealings with Mr Hayman and were not involved in any of the judicial proceedings.

He added: “The Scottish government is fully committed to the fight against terrorism and will work with jurisdictions, south of the Border and elsewhere, to ensure the safety and security of ordinary citizens and the prosecution of the perpetrators of terrorist acts wherever they may be.”

John Neilson, the Assistant Chief Constable of Strathclyde Police, who headed the investigation into the attack, denied that politicians had influenced the inquiry. “I don't know of any political interference that impacted on the investigation,” he said.

A spokesman for the Crown Office also dismissed Mr Hayman's version of events, saying: “This bears absolutely no resemblance to events in Scotland that weekend.

“The Lord Advocate and her team worked tirelessly with the support of the Scottish ministers over the course of the weekend on June 29 and 30 to ensure that the complex legal issue of jurisdiction was considered quickly but authoritatively.”

These Scottish comments appear to have come after the injunction and Andy Hayman's views were published in The Times excerpts.

davidbfpo

[Ken White]

Can't tolerate any sassenach finger pointing...

[davidbfpo]

This should be good for sales when the book does come out. Could your courts silence him under libel laws or security procedures? This will be impossible now that some copies are out.

Better sales potential is expected, dependent on how long it takes the civil case to be resolved. I'm not a lawyer, libel laws are unlikely to be a factor in the government's injunction (the grounds for which are still, unusually, in public).

The author and assistant are very aware of the security procedures. Normally such publications are voluntarily submitted to interested parties for review, sometimes deletions are requested (there is another critical book currently where the author said no, as the information was in the public domain already and publication went ahead).

Andy Hayman worked in the Met and so the current Commissioner's views are of note: Sir Paul Stephenson, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, complained last week that he had not been given a preview of the book’s contents. He questioned whether senior officers should be allowed to publish books of this kind about their period in service. Sir Paul said: “I find it surprising as commissioner that I have no right on this occasion to have access to the book before it is published. That surprises me. It is troublesome and it does not help good conduct.”

For some deeper reading I'd suggest this: http://rachelnorthlondon.blogspot.co...onspiracy.html

davidbfpo

[davidbfpo]

I think this deserves its own thread and so I will move a few post here. Yes, this post will then appear not at the start.

[AdamG]

British police say they have arrested 12 men suspected of plotting a terrorist attack in Britain. The men were taken from different areas around the country as a result of counter-terrorism intelligence work. The country remains on high alert.

Police picked up the men in early morning raids in Birmingham and Stoke-on-Trent in central England, Cardiff in Wales; and, in the capital, London. The men are between the ages of 17 and 24.

http://www.voanews.com/english/news/...112197989.html

[davidbfpo]

A bland new release so far, the usual newsreel and now the 'waiting game' for more details - notably charged or released. Curiously the main BBC News decided to explain the statistics for arrests, charges and convictions.

There is a little more, notably that it is an AQ plot:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukne...ide-raids.html

[AdamG]

(Reuters) - Britain's top soldier warned on Wednesday that pro-democracy uprisings in the Middle East could spawn militant Islamist activity in Britain, but said the greatest threat was economic.

In his end-of-year analysis of the dangers facing Britain, the chief of the defense staff, General David Richards, said the Arab Spring could stir unrest in Britain's immigrant communities.

"(There is) the risk that the Arab awakening leads to fissures and internal conflict that could be exported, including militant Islamism," Richards told a defense thinktank, the Royal United Services Institute, in London.

"They have diasporas reaching back to this country, as does Pakistan and other states struggling with instability."

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/...7BD2AM20111214



Art imitates life. Life imitates art.

[davidbfpo]

A variety of reports:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12048598 and http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukne...-Pakistan.html

A mixture:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukne...d-in-jail.html

From which:

Muslims leaders said they tipped off police about the group of extremists in the Welsh capital, where five men between the ages of 23 and 28 were arrested. They said they had stopped the group from holding meetings in mosques in the last month and told them to "go elsewhere."
Mosque officials informed police but it is thought that MI5 was already aware of the group.

I know of one analyst who is puzzled that amongst the 'Xmas Twelve' are reportedly five Bangladeshi's, who went for training in Pakistan.

[davidbfpo]

Announced AM today that nine of the twelve men arrested would be charged with Conspiracy to cause an explosion and Preparatory acts; the other three have been released without charge.

The BBC report:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12081828 and a little more detail on the police press release: http://www.west-midlands.police.uk/l...se.asp?id=2000

There is an odd feature to the charges, the dates covered vary and the conspiracy date ends 20th November, whilst the preparatory ends 20th December.

[AdamG]

I think this deserves its own thread and so I will move a few post here. Yes, this post will then appear not at the start.

For contextual dichotomy, the Peanut Gallery should read
http://council.smallwarsjournal.com/...7&postcount=41

[davidbfpo]

Been away from the UK news and found this:

The charges amount to allegations of a plan to attack the London Stock Exchange, the American Embassy, a number of prominent religious and political leaders and possible restaurants, pubs and nightclubs.

The alleged plan also included a series of parcel bombs to be constructed based on instructions printed in an Al-Qaeda newsletter.

The second chage they face is of engaging in conduct in preparation for acts of terrorism between November 6 and December 20, including by downloading, researching, obtaining and discussing materials and methods; researching discussing and carrying out reconnaissance on and agreeing potential targets; travelling to and attending meetings; and igniting and testing incendiary material preparing for acts of terrorism.

Link:http://www.channel4.com/news/anti-te...ne-men-charged

More details on:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukne...ter-Abbey.html

[omarali50]

Why the surprise about Bangladeshis? Bangladesh has been an important hub of ISI's jihadist project for decades...

[AdamG]

Christmas bomb plot: nine men remanded over plan to 'blow up Big Ben and Westminster Abbey'
Nine alleged terrorists plotted a Christmas bombing campaign targeting sites that included the London Stock Exchange and Big Ben, a court heard.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukne...ter-Abbey.html

[davidbfpo]

Omarali50,

You asked:

Why the surprise about Bangladeshis? Bangladesh has been an important hub of ISI's jihadist project for decades...

IMHO the surprise is that those of Bangladeshi origin have not featured in most UK plots for a few years, other groups dominate, notably Kashmiri / Pakistani and coming up Somalis. IIRC the last UK CT case with a Bangladeshi was Moinul Abedin and he was arrested in 2000. Secondly, there was the assumption that contemporary history would preclude any Bangladeshi going to Pakistan for training.

There has also been Bangladesh-UK co-operation in CT, although it has hiccups:http://www.guardian.co.uk/law/2010/j...ims-bangladesh

[davidbfpo]

There is another thread on the 7/7 bombings, shown below, but it covers the post-attack response and this thread starts following - late agreed - the missed opportunities to stop the attacks. Like others I do not like the phrase 'joining the dots', but it is an easy headline.

After much official resistance there is now a coroners inquest, with its own website:http://7julyinquests.independent.gov.uk/index.htm

There have been some headlines as witnesses have come forward. Today we learnt of a missed opportunity, which I cannot recall ever being in the public domain:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukne...e-Lindsay.html

Sub-titled:

Bedfordshire police failed to follow up an armed incident involving a car used by one of the July 7 bombers five weeks before the bombings, the inquest has heard.

Data management is a key issue, although this article is not new, it illustrates the LE aspects:http://www.fipr.org/terrorismdetention.pdf

Previous related SWC thread on 7/7: Interagency Coordination http://council.smallwarsjournal.com/...ead.php?t=6270